Game apparatus



June 18, 1935. .1. B. FIRESTONE 2,004,981 GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 24, 1934 ,5 ,5 [4 my, 1 I

I as

. 0 -4/ I H E i n 45 4 .INVENTOR.

John B. Flrestone BYf g H15 ATTORNEY5.

Patented June 18, 1935 UNITED STATES a 2,004,981 7 GAME APPARATUS John B. Firestone, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to John F. Meyer, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 24, 1934, Serial No. 758,957

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus.

It is an object'of this invention to provide an improved game apparatus which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efficient in use.

The present invention pertains particularly to that particular type of amusement game apparatus known as pin games or pin and marble games, and another object of the present invention is to provide in a game apparatus of the character hereinafter referred to, a novel so-called free game device for permitting operation of the ball-releasing member without rec uiring operation of the coin slide, in the event that the player succeeds in playing a ball into a preselected ball exit or scoring opening in the playing surface.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and'claimed.

The invention Willbest be understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, principally in side elevation but partly in section, showing a preferred form of the new so-called free game unit which forms the subject matter of the present invention;

i Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view partly insection, on line 44 in Fig. 3; and i Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing, diagrammatically, an electromagnetic circuit embodied,

in the'invention.

The present invention is principally designed for usejin conjunction with game apparatus of the so-called pin game, or pin and marble game type, and such a game apparatus is shown in the drawing, is therein generally indicated at It, and comprises a cabinet i i'. After the usual manner of constructing'a game apparatus of the character referred to, the same'includes an inclined playing board [2 in which are formed ball exit or scoring openings i3 and slidablyarranged in the cabinet ll, below the inclined playing board i2, is a ball-releasing member M which is provided with ball-releasing openings I5 and these openings l5 are adapted: to be moved into registration with the exit openings 13 in theinclined playing board 12 by movement 0f the ball-releasing member 14, so as to discharge the spent balls onto an inclined runway i6 by means of which the spent balls are conducted to a transverse runway or magazine 56 by which inturn, the spent balls are conducted to a point adjacent the propelling means (not 5' shown).

Mounted in the lower end wall ll of the cabinet I l is a coin chute which includes a coin controlled member or coin slide [3 and this coin slide 18 is engageable, at its inner end, with a bracket l9 which is carried by and depends from the ball-releasing member 14.

Also slidably mounted in the lower end wall ll of the cabinet I! is a member 20 which, like the coin'slide I8, is engageable at its inner end with the bracket i9, this member 20 having a handle portion 2| which projects exteriorly of the cabinet ll. Theslide 20'2l is slidably projected through a cylindrical guide 38 (Figs. 2 and 3) which is attached to the mounting 3|.

Provided in the inclined playing board 14 is a free game ball exit opening 22 and arranged upon the inclined ball return runway I6 below the ball exit opening 22 is a circuit-closing device, generally indicated at23 (Figs. land 5). 25'

This circuit-closing device 23 is embodied in an electromagnetic circuit 24 (Fig. 5) and includes a pair of relatively stationary contact posts 25 and a relatively movable contact 26, the movable contact 26 including a transverse arm or bar 21. which is'adapted toengage and close circuit. between I the stationary contacts 25.

The movable contact or circuit-closing element, 2ii21- is pivotally mounted, betweenits ends, 7 upon a trough-shaped support 28 which in turn 35 is mounted upon the runway l6 below the ball exit opening 22. I

The electromagnetic circuit 24' includes an electromagnet 29. This electromagnet 29 is supported upon a bracket 20 which is attached to a mounting 3| and the latteris, in turn, attached to'the lower end wall I! of the cabinet ll.

Pivotally mounted between its ends, as at'32, upon the mounting 3! is a latch member 33. r This latch member 33 has an end portion 34 which projects over, and is attractable by, the electromagnet 29 when the latter is. energized, and the latch member33 also has an unbalanced or counterweighted end. portion 35 which is. 50 adapted to engage in a transverse slot 36 which is formed inthe slidable member 20; this slot 36 being coincidental with a corresponding slot 3'! which is formed in the housing or guide 38 for the slidable member 20,. when the slide 2I,,55

is in its normal or initial position (as in full lines, Fig. 2).

Pivotally mounted between its ends, as at 39, upon an arm 40 of the mounting 3| isa member 4| which is normally urged into an upright or vertical position (full line, Fig. 2) by means of a spring 55. Pivotally mounted, as at 42, upon the upper end portion of member 4|, is a. latch keeper 43 which is normally urged, by a spring 44, into full line or horizontal position (Fig. 2), in which position the latch keeper 43 projects over the latch 35 when the latter is disposed in the transverse slots 363I.

Pivotally attached at one end, as at 45, to the member 4|, is a latch-releasing member in the form of a wire rod 46; this rod 46 having its other end portion bent back upon itself to provide a loop 41, and projecting into this loop 41 is a headed screw 48 which is carried by, and.

projects laterally from, the slidable member 20.

Having one end attached to the slidable member 20, as at 49, and having its other end attached to the mounting 3|, is a resetting spring 50.

One ofthe stationary contacts 25 is electrically connected, in the electromagnetic circuit 24, by way of a conductor 5| (Fig. 5) to one side of a source of electric energy, in the form of a battery of dry cells 52 which are embodied in the circuit24 and which are arranged in the cabinet II. is electrically connected, by way of a conductor 53 tonne side of the electromagnet 29, and the iother'side of the electromagnet 29 is in turn electrically connected, by way of a conductor- 54 to the other one of the stationary contacts 25.,

Operation 'Ball's 'played into the exit or scoring openings I3 are'retainedtherein by the slidable panel or ball-releasing member I4 and are ordinarily prevented thereby from returning into the mag-' azine or transverse runway 56 until such time as a coin is inserted intothe'coin aperture of the coin slide I8 and the latter is pushed inwardly (right to left, Fig. 1), whereupon the inner end of the coin slide I8 engages the depending arm I9 of the slidable ball-releasing member I4, thereby shifting the latter (right to left, Fig.

i 1) and thus moving the openings I5 in the ballreleasing member I4 into registration with the ball exit or scoring openings I3 in the inclined playing board I2, whereuponthe spent-balls fall from the exit or scoring openings I3 onto the inclined. runway l6 to be returned by the latter 2 02|, thus normally preventing operation of the slidable member 2|l2| and the ball-releas- 1 ing member I 4.

However, if and when the player succeeds in playing a ballinto the free game ball exit opening 22 in the inclined playing board I2, the ball thus played falls through the opening 22 onto the movable contactor circuit-closing member 26 and in so doing engages the transverse bar 2'! carried therebywith the stationary contacts 25, thus closing the electromagnetic circuit 24. This closing of the electromagnetic circuit 24 energizes the electromagnet 29 which The other side of the battery 52 then attracts to itself the end portion 34 of the latch member 33, thereby pivoting the latch member 33 (counterclockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3), thus raising the unbalanced or counterweighted latching end portion 35 of the latch member 33 up into engagement with the pivoted latch keeper element 43, thereby pivoting the latter (clockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 2), against the action of its resetting spring 44. In this manner, the latching end portion 35 of the latch member 33 is raised up out of the transverse slots 363| and is thereby moved out of latching engagement with the slide rod 202I, whereupon the said latching end portion 35 of the latch member 33 falls by gravity onto the upper edge of the latch keeper 43. This frees the slide rod20--2| for operation,whereupon the player may, by moving the slide rod 202| (from right to left, Figs. 1 and 2), engage the inner end of the same with thedepending arm I9 of the ball-releasing member I4, whereupon the latter is shifted (right to left, Figs. 1 and 2). ball-releasing member. I4 registers the openings I5 formed therein with the ball exit openings I3 in the inclined playing board I2 whereupon the, spent ballsfall upon ball exit openings I3,-

through the openings I5 in the ball-releasing member I4, onto the inclined runway I6 and arereturned by the latter to a point adjacent the propelling device (not shown) for replay. In this manner, the player is permitted to play a free game, without inserting a coin into the coin aperture of the coin slide I8, and without operating the coin slide I8, every time he succeeds in playing a'ball into the free game openings 22 in the inclined playing board I2.

As the slide rod 20-2| is moved inwardly (right to left, Figs. 1 and 2) the projecting element 48 moves to the left hand end of the loop 41 (as seen in Fig. 2) and in so doing pivots the rod 46 from full to dotted line position (Fig. 2), and this movement of the member 46 in turn pivots the latch member 4| (clockwise from full to dotted line position, Fig. 2) against the action of its resetting spring 55. During this movement of the member 4| andits latch keeper element 4.3 the latching end portion 35 of the latch member 33 rides up off the latch keeper element 43, whereupon the unbalanced or This movement of the counterweighted latching end portion '35 of the latch member 33 pivots or drops by gravity (clockwise, from dotted to full line position, Fig. 3) into the transverse slot 31 which is formed in the guide 38 and the latching end portion 35 of the latch member 33 remains in the slot 31 and rides upon the peripheral surface of the slide 20-2| until, upon the return stroke of the slide 20-- 2|, the slot 36 in the slide 20-2l is brought into coincidental relationship or registration with the slot 31 in the guide 36 by the return movement of the slide rod 20 2| which is eifected by the resetting. spring 50, whereupon the latching end portion 35 of the latch 33 drops into the slot 36, in the slide 2|], thus preventing further operation of the slide rod 20 and the ball-releasing member I4 until another ball is played into the free game opening 22 and the foregoing cycle of operations is repeated. During the return stroke of the slide 20-2|, which is 'efiected by the resetting spring 50, the resetting spring returns the member 4| and the latch keeper 43 carried thereby, into upright or eifective position, (full line position, Fig. 2).

It will'be noted that'the circuit 24 remains closed, by the action of a ball falling through the free game opening 22 onto the circuit While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying myin- Patent is:

1. In agame apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board having ball exit openings formed therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into the said ball exit openings; an inclined runway arranged below said inclined playing board and in communication with said exit openings for 35" conducting spent balls from said exit openings to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; a member slidably mounted in said cabinet between the said inclined playing board and the said runway for temporarily retaining therein balls which enter into certain of said exit openings; a handle member slidably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving said first named member into ball-releasing position; means normally latching said handle member against operation; and means including a device actuated by a ball passing through a pre-' selected one of said exit openings for 'moving said latching means out of latohin engagement with said handle member so as to permit operation of the latter. l

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing'board having ball exit openingsformed therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover and enter into the said ball exit openings; an inclined run way arranged below said inclined playing board and in communication with said exit openings for conducting spent balls from said exit openings to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; a member slidably mounted in said cabinet between said inclined playing board and said runway for temporarilyretaining therein balls which enter into certain of said exit openings; a handle member slidably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving said first named member into ball-releasing position; means normally latching said handle member against operation; and means including an electromagnetic device actuated by a ball passing through a preselected one of said exit openings for moving said latching means out of latching engagement with said handle member so as to;

permit operation of the latter.

"3.-In' a game apparatus, the combination of z a cabinet including an inclined playing board having ball exit or scoring openingsformed therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate there over and enter into the said ball exit openings; an inclinedrunway arranged below said inclined playing board and in communication with said exit openings for conducting spent balls from,

said exit openings to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; a member slidably mounted in said cabinet between said inclined playing board and said runway for temporarily retaining therein balls which enter intocertain of said exit openings; a handle member slidably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving said first named member into ball-releasing position; means normally latching said handle member against operation; means including a device actuated by a ball passing through a preselected one of said exit openings for moving said latching means out of latching engagement with said second-named slidable member so as to permit operation of the-latter;

means for retaining said latching means out of latching engagement with said handle member during a full stroke or the same or movement thereof frornits initial position into effective or ball-releasing position and back into its initial position; and means for releasing said latching means from said retaining means for move-. ment into latching engagement with. said handle member upon return of .the latter from its effective or ball-releasing position into its initial position.

.4. In a game apparatus, the combination of:

a cabinet including an inclined playing board having ball exit openings formed therein; means for propelling balls one at a time onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that-theymaygravitate thereo-ver and enter. into the said ball exit openings; an inclined runway arranged. below said inclined playing board and in communication with said exit openings forconducting spent balls from said exit openings to a; point adjacent to but below said propelling means; a member slidably mounted in said cabinet between said inclined playing board and said runway for temporarily retaining therein balls which 1 enter into certain of. said exit openings; ahandle member slidably mounted in'a wall of said cabinet for moving said first I named member into ball-releasing position; means normally latching said handle member against operation; means including an electromagnetic device actuated by a ball passing through a preselected one of said exit openings for moving said latching means out of latching engagement with said handle member so as to permit operation of the latter; means for retaining said latching means out of latching engagement with said handle member during a full stroke of the same or movement thereof from its initial position into ball-releasing or effective position and back to its initial position; and means for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with said retaining openings; a runway for conducting spent balls from said exit openings to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; means in said cabinet below said playing surface for temporarily stopping spent balls at a point between said exit openings and a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; means for moving said second-named or ball-stopping means into position to release ballsstopped thereby for return to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; means normally latching said thirdnamed or moving means against operation; and means actuated by a spent ball for moving said latching means out of latching engagement with said third-named or moving means so as to permitoperation of the latter.

,6. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including a member providing a playing surface having ball exit openings therein; 20

means for propelling balls one at a time over said playing surface so that they enter into said exit openings; a runway for conducting spent balls from said exit openings to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means;

means in said cabinet below said playing surface for temporarily stopping spent balls at a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; means for moving said second-named or ball-stopping means into position to release balls stopped thereby for return to a point adjacent to but below said propelling means; means normally latching said third-named or moving means against operation; and means including an electromagnetic device actuated by a spent ball for moving said latching means out of latching engagement with said third-named or moving means so as to permit operation of the latter.

7. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball receiving pocket; a member movably mounted in said cabinet below said playing surface for temporarily retaining therein balls which enter into said pocket; a main operating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving said ball-retaining member into ball-releasing position; an auxiliary operating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving saidballretaining member into ball-releasing position independently of said main operating member;

means normally latching said auxiliary operating member against operation; and means operatively associated with said ball receiving pocket for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with said auxiliary operating member so as to permit operation of the latter independently of said main operating member. o

8. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including a member providing a ballplaying surface having a ball exit opening or pocket provided therein and having another ball exit opening therein, independent of the said first-named ball exit opening or pocket; a member movably mounted in said cabinet below said playing surface for temporarily retaining there-. in balls which enter into said second-named exit opening; a main operating member movably mountedin a wall of said cabinet for moving said ball-retaining member into ball-releasing position; I an auxiliaryoperating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving said ball-retaining member into ballreleasing position independently .of said main operating member; means normally latching said auxiliary operating member against operation; and means including a device actuated by a ball entering said first-named exit opening or pocket for releasing'said latching means from latching engagement with said auxiliary operating member so as to permit operation of thelatter and of saidball-retaining member independently of said main operating member.

9. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including a member providing a ball playing surface having a ball exit opening or pocket provided therein andhaving another ball exit opening therein independent of the said ably mounted in said cabinet below said playing surface fortemporarily retaining therein balls which enter into said second-named exit opening; a main operating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet for moving said ballretaining member into ball-releasing position; an auxiliary operating member movably mounted in a wall of said cabinet formoving said ballretainingmember into ball-releasing position independently of said mainoperating member; means normally latching said auxiliary operating member against operation; and means including an electromagnetic device actuated by a ball enteringsaid first-named ball exit opening or pocket for releasing said latching means from latching engagement with said auxiliary,

'the latter and of said ball-retaining member'independently of said main operating member.

JOHN B. FIRESTONE; r

first-named ball exit opening; a member mov- 

